After the explosion, the entire highway had turned into a no man's land. No one dared to leave their homes, let alone approach the area. News of the attack spread worldwide within hours, igniting chaos across the internet. Countless clout-chasing bloggers rushed to capitalize on the tragedy, plastering exaggerated headlines everywhere:
"The First Ever Successful Terrorist Attack!"
"Cop Assassin on the Loose!"
"Government in Fear—The Nation's Fate Uncertain!"
And many more ridiculous titles flooded every platform.
The entire city fell into uproar as videos and articles circulated endlessly online. Some people trembled at the thought of another attack, while others reveled in the tension, completely indifferent to the lives involved.
A young man watched everything unfold with amusement, letting out a soft chuckle at the government's desperate attempts to contain the situation.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
With a slightly puzzled expression, he pulled it out, attaching a communication device to his ear as he answered the call. Instantly, a loud, furious voice assaulted his eardrums. He flinched and yanked the device away, yet the sharp tone still echoed painfully.
"What do you think you're doing causing such a commotion? Are you tired of living?!"
The young man frowned, clutching his ear, but his expression soon relaxed into a grin.
"Relax, Gramps. If you really wanted to make a scene, you should've taken some voice-control pills first. Look what you've done—my ears hurt now."
"Don't change the subject, you fool," the old man roared. "Explain why you attacked the police."
"Would you believe me if I said I did it on a whim?" the young man replied with a playful chuckle.
"Don't toy with me, Gary."
The old man's voice thundered before suddenly calming down.
"Switch to visual mode."
Gary tapped a button on his phone, and a hologram flickered to life. A white-haired old man appeared, an eyepatch covering his right eye. His sharp features and hardened gaze carried the unmistakable aura of someone who had survived countless battles and taken many lives. It was hard to believe such a man could yell like a nagging grandparent.
The old man stared at Gary, brows furrowed in irritation.
"Fine. Don't say anything," he said coldly. "But don't blame me for what happens next."
Gary snorted, then grimaced as if accepting a challenge. As the old man began listing names, Gary lazily ignored him at first. However, his relaxed smile slowly stiffened. With each name mentioned, his expression darkened.
Finally, his composure cracked. The amusement vanished, replaced by unease—and then fear.
Noticing the change, the old man felt a surge of satisfaction.
Gary scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly, his tone shifting instantly.
"Now hold on, Gramps. We were just having a friendly moment here. Don't you think dragging her into this is going a bit too far?"
"Oh?" the old man scoffed. "Now you suddenly understand limits and principles? Funny, considering you didn't hesitate to stir chaos and bully an old man like me."
"Bullying you?" Gary muttered under his breath, glaring at the hologram. "You call me, yell at me, then threaten me—and I'm the bully?"
The old man ignored him and continued with a snort.
"You were scared just by hearing the discipline master's name. For your information, I haven't even gone that far yet. Just wait until I inform the S-ranked forces leader about her subordinate's shameless behavior."
As those words fell, Gary's face darkened completely. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"What's wrong?" the old man mocked. "Cat got your tongue?"
"You're insane," Gary scoffed. "Who knew you could be this shameless?"
"Shameless?" the old man snapped. "I never told you to go around acting like a shameless troublemaker."
"At least I don't threaten people with their secrets," Gary shot back. "And don't be jealous. For the record, it's not my fault you're terrible with women."
"What did you say?!"
The old man exploded in rage, veins bulging on his forehead. Seeing he had struck a nerve, Gary leaned forward, resting his chin on his arms with a relaxed smile.
"Did I do something wrong, Gramps?" he asked innocently.
"You—!"
Before the old man could retort, a female voice suddenly cut in, startling him.
"What's going on over there? Who are you talking to?"
Gary raised an eyebrow, watching as the old man froze in place, his face pale and panicked.
"Uh… Gramps," Gary teased. "Did you get a girlfriend or something?"
The old man snapped out of it quickly.
"N-No… it's nothing. I'll be there in a second," he stammered aloud.
Gary couldn't help chuckling, much to the old man's annoyance.
With a sigh of frustration and defeat, the old man turned back to Gary, his expression complicated.
"This isn't actually why I called," he admitted.
"Then you should've said that earlier instead of all the rambling," Gary replied casually, stretching his arms.
The old man fell silent for a moment, his face turning serious.
"You have a special mission."
"Really?"
Gary's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Yes. Due to the mission's importance, you'll be going with the entire S-ranked squad, along with two core members of the organization."
Gary's excitement vanished instantly, replaced by a sour expression.
"I'd rather not go. If it was just my team, maybe—but you're not going to—"
"Alice is coming too."
The old man cut him off, rolling his eyes.
Gary's face brightened immediately before shifting into a sharp glare.
"Don't mess with me, Gramps. Even if I can't beat you, she can."
"Just get down here. Everything I said is true."
"Does that mean—"
"Yes," the old man interrupted again. "And I'll still inform them about your shameless behavior, so don't try threatening me with that ever again."
Gary felt a chill crawl up his spine. He smiled awkwardly, scratching his head.
"My dear Gramps, no need to be so ruthless. Let's settle this like men."
The old man sighed deeply. "Just come here."
Gary grinned. "Well, that's settled then. I'll stop by the bar for a bit. Want me to grab a drink for you and my new mom?"
The old man shot him a death glare.
"Be back in fifteen minutes," he growled, "or you're dead."
With a snort, the call ended.
"Well… he seemed serious," Gary muttered. "Time to move."
As the car drove off, a figure lay motionless where it had just been. The body was sprawled unnaturally across the road, making it impossible to tell whether the man was still alive.
* * * * * *
Rin jerked awake, panting heavily. Beads of sweat covered her face, her eyes still wide with shock and lingering horror. Apparently, she had just had a nightmare—
the same one that had always haunted her.
As Rin gradually calmed down, her brows furrowed when her gaze landed on a familiar figure. Her heart stopped for a brief moment.
Kai sat leisurely opposite her, seemingly immersed in his reading, not even sparing her a glance. It was as if she didn't exist at all.
Rin's anger flared instantly at being ignored. For a split second, she wished she could erase him from existence entirely.
"Who does this guy think he is, acting all high and mighty?" she muttered bitterly.
Regaining some of her composure, Rin fixed him with a fierce stare.
"What… are you doing here?"
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly in her direction, causing her heart to thump hard against her chest. But the moment passed just as quickly—he turned back to his book as if nothing had happened.
Silence stretched between them.
After a few moments, Rin finally lost her patience. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat suddenly felt unbearably dry, forcing her to cough several times. Kai's eyebrow lifted slightly, but that was all.
Rin got up from the bed, intending to find something to ease her throat, when a sharp, splitting pain exploded inside her head.
"Ahhh!"
She screamed in agony and collapsed back onto the bed, clutching her head. Her body stiffened as if she had fallen into a trance.
Rin gasped as vivid images flooded her consciousness. Fragments of lost memories surfaced one after another—until a deafening gunshot echoed, followed by the sight of her own bloodied body sprawled across the floor.
The vision snapped her back to reality.
Kai calmly reached into his pocket and casually tossed a small white packet onto the bed. Inside was a single blue capsule.
"Crush it in your mouth," he said flatly. "You'll be fine."
"Hmph. As if I'd accept help from you," Rin spat, tears welling in her eyes as pain throbbed through her skull. "Monster."
Kai didn't reply. Completely unfazed, he turned and left the room.
Rin clenched her jaw.
How could someone be this heartless…
With a helpless sigh, she finally gave in. The pain was unbearable. She tore open the packet and shoved the capsule into her mouth without hesitation.
Crunch.
The capsule burst instantly, releasing a purple mist that escaped through her parted lips. As Rin inhaled it, the pain began to fade—slowly at first, then rapidly—until it vanished completely.
She slumped back against the bed, panting heavily.
"That was close… my head almost exploded," she muttered, both shaken and curious.
At least it's gone.
Rin paused.
Maybe I was too harsh… he did help me, after all.
She quickly brushed the thought aside.
Nah. He probably doesn't care anyway.
"Why do I suddenly feel so hot?"
Her expression twisted in confusion as fresh beads of sweat formed on her delicate face. The room felt warmer by the second. An uncomfortable heat spread through her body, accompanied by an itch she couldn't quite relieve—no matter how much she scratched.
Worse still was the strange tingling sensation gathering between her legs.
Rin froze.
Confusion and fear mingled as her thoughts spiraled with unanswered questions.
Meanwhile, Kai stood frozen in the corridor, his expression distant and unreadable. Suddenly, his phone beeped.
Recognizing the caller, Kai growled softly before answering.
A familiar cheerful voice rang out immediately.
[Long time no see, my friend. So? How's it going?]
Kai, clearly not in the mood for jokes, replied coldly.
[If you're just calling to spout nonsense, I'm hanging up. Don't bother.]
As he was about to end the call, Jace's voice cut in urgently.
[Wait—don't hang up. This is important. It's from the organization… and it's about the blessing ]